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(No Model.)

R. GUASTAVINO.

FIRE PROOF BUILDING.

No. 888,050. Patented May 15, 1888.

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N, PETERS Pnuwmhugmphun vlfashinguw D. C.

NITED STATES PATENT Ormea.

RAFAEL GUASTAVINO, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

FIRE-PROOF BUILING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 383,050, dated May 1883.

Application filed February 25, 1887. Serial No. l2,862. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAFAEL GUAsTAvINo, a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Proof Buildings, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to the construction of buildings, and especially to tireproof buildings; and the improvements herein de scribed have reference to the ceilings, partitions, and staircases of such buildings, and are applicable to private dwellings, theaters, churches, school-houses, public halls, Sto.

The object of the invention (said invention being adapted for use in conjunction with the inventions heretofore patented by me on August l1, 1885, and February 9,1886) is to devise a ceiling, partition, or staircase which shall possess the elements of incombustibility and substantiality, as well as a high degree of ornamentation. In the present instanceI make use of the brick tiles described in my patents above referred to for the construction of the vaults comprising the ceilings, partitions, and staircases, and combine therewith an outer layer of speciallyconstructed cement -faced tiles whose exposed surfaces are appropriately formed with ornamentation. By this construction I produce a structure which, aside from its inherent strengthy and security, requires no finishing-such for instance, as pIastering--or the addition of raised plaster or cement embellishments.

The features of novelty for which in this instance I desire protection, are set forth in the claims at the end of this description.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, and in which like features are indicated by like letters, Figure lis a transverse section of a portion of a ceiling embodying,my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion ofa like ceiling. Fig. 3 is a detached plan view of one of the ornamented cement tiles which constitute the exposed surface or face of the structure. Fig. 4 is a transversev sectional view of a portion of the ceiling shown in Fig. 2, on a somewhat enlarged scale; and Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view of a portion of two vaults at a point where one of the longitudinal tie-beams is located, showing a method of concealing the lower surface of said tie-beam.

The brick tile that I use for forming the layers of the vault are about three-fourth (i) of an inch thick by four (4t) to six (6) inches wide, and from eight (8) to twelve (l2) inches long. These tiles arebuilt up into two or more rings or layers for each vault, and are setin ceinent or plaster of-paris, and when such tiles are united together face to face in such manner as to break joints a structure is produced with a surface without solution of continuity, resembling a large stone three or more inches in thickness. These vaults may be dat or curved, and when curved they may be constructed in one or more oppositely directed arches or risers.

As fully explained in my patents herein mentioned, vaults built on this principle poss'css great elasticity, and they resist pressure both by compression (the same as brick) and cohesion, (thesame as stone or cast-iron.) 'To avoid the necessity of plastering the outer or exposed surface of the structure constructed on this plan, I now propose to add an outer or tinishinglayer of cement-faced decorated tiles; and in order that the requisite ornamentation may be embodied in the structure at the same time, and without the trouble and expense of placing it in position as a special finishing operation, I cast the said cement decorations on the tiles by means of a suitably-constructed mold, all of which is more specifically hereinafter set forth,

Referring to the drawings, the letter A indi,- cates one of the side or divisional walls of a building, B the door or top of the ceiling be low the roof, and C concrete or other suitable filling between the top of the vaults and the tioor B.

D is thc molding generally employed in finishing ot't' the top of the walls where they join the ceiling.

The letter E indicates the tie-beams, which extend longitudinally of the room, there being as many used in the construction of a ceiling as may be required, (they may be arranged five, seven, nine, or more feet apart, as the construction of the building may require,) and I spring the risers of the vaults from the tiebeams each way. The tie-beams E are of course rmly securedinto the divisional walls, and are preferably composed of wrought-iron.

The letter F indicates my cement-faced deco- Ico rated tiles, which form the outer or exposed surface of the structure. These tiles are de signed to be squares, from six inches to twelve inches on the sides and from two and a half to four inches in thickness. To give these tiles a Suitable contiguration,l east the decorated face upon the brick tile in a mold constructed to attain that result.

I make no claim for the mold, and hence do not show the same in the drawings.

In the formation of the decorated tile the cement face is east upon the brick tile in such a manner as to leave the surface ofthe brick tile exposed at the back,as shown in Fig. 4,in order that the same may be secured by cement orplaster-of-paris to the layer or ring of brick tiles against which they abut in the completed vault. In the process of preparing the cement-faced tile the small anchors a are cast in the tile, as shown in the drawings. The object of the anchors a isto assist in holding the decorated tiles in place, as shown in Fig. 4. The mold in which the tiles F are prepared produces upon the latter the lianges b and c, as shown, which assist in an obvious manner in securing the series of tiles constituting the ring or layer in position one to the other.

After the exterior ring or layer ofa riser of the vault, composedof the decorated tiles F, has been placed in position between the longitudinal tie-beams E, or between the side wall and said tie-beam, a ring orlayer of brick tiles, G, is placed upon the layer of cementfaced decorated tiles, and laid in cement or plaster-of-paris and in such manner as to preferably break joints with the ring of decorated tiles. The projecting portions of the anchorirons a pass throu'gh this layer of tiles G, and thus assist in securing` the decorated tiles F against displacement. Upon the top of the first layer o f brick tiles G a second (and third, if deemed necessary) layer of like tiles is laid in cement or plaster-of-paris and preferably in such manner'as to break joints with the layer immediately beneath. The filling of concrete or like material C is then placed in 1poition, and upon the whole the floor may be The exposed lower surface of the tie-beams E may be concealed in the course of building up the vault by having applied thereto an ornamental cap-piece, H, of bronze or brass or other suitable metal,wl1ich is held in place by the adjacent decorated tiles resting thereupon, as shown in Fig. 5, and cement or plaster-ofparis must be applied between the surface of the brass cap and the lower surface of the beam as an insulator between the two to prevent the beam becoming heated in a tire.`

The spaces between the molding D and the risers maybe supplied with appropriate ornamentation, as shown in Fig. l atJ.

The'vaults may be composed of single risers, of appropriate width, or of a series of short risers, either transverse or longitudinal of the structure.

It is obvious that a structure constructed as above defined possesses superior fire-proof qualities and is of great strength, also that when completed it requires no plastering. It may or may not be painted or otherwise approprately decorated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire lo secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A ceiling,partition,or staircase composed of two or more layers or rings of brick tiles and an outside layer or ring of cement-faced tiles with raised decorations thereon,the whole set inV cement or plaster-of paris, substantially as set forth.

2. A ceiling, partition, or staircase comprising rings or layers of brick tiles, the tiles of the outer layer being cement-faced and provided with raised ornamentation, and tiebeams having their exposed surfaces covered with metal caps, substantially as set forth.

3. A tile for the vaults of fire-proof buildings, having cast upon its face cement ornamentation and provided on its edges with ilanges, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

Signed at New York, iu the county of New York and State of New York, this 23d day of February, A. D. 1887.

RAFAEL eUAsTAViNo.

Viinesses:

QUINTIN GARRETA, J. E. M. BOWEN. 

